Reena And Roma

Sitting by the side of her favourite window with the chin cupped up between the two composed palms , Reena sat with half-closed eyes relaxing in her special comfortable chair.

It was comfortable because she felt so , sitting in it and had , a side board attached to it on which she could place her writing- pad or book as she browsed through or watched the outside world.
In fact she prefered to sit there and write. She had her other options too -and many of them.

She had her room and chosen place with the necessary furniture and books for any needful, ready reference.
Her house being a mansion , had many sit- out places, a little lawn , and even a small bower on the northern side of the house.
Reena hailed from a moderately rich family and was brought up by a single parent- her father.
Her mother had died when she was about six years old.
Her father Mr. Hemanth who had acquired ample wealth from his ancestors and also from his wife's side, chose not to remarry or even have any affair with anyone.
More so because he felt his daughter needed his care and attention.
There were no close relatives left for him, whose services or concern he could depend upon , in bringing up his still lisping daughter.
Reena was now a grown up beauty with sophisticated manners and elegant behaviour.

Mr. Hemanth had taken greater care than was necessary in bringing her up like a lady in the European sense.
Despite all training and education Reena was just normal and natural.

She believed, and strongly too that human nature should not be corrupted in any way , nor be allowed to wear a false mask.
Her behaviour decided the merit or demerit of any situation, person or place .
Sometimes those who knew her thought her to be rather rude or self-centred .There were others who said under their own breath, that she was untutored , and full of vanity.

Reena chose not to heed to what others had to say about her behaviour or thoughts.
She had graduated from the renowned university and had learned several skills at work besides being able to communicate in several languages.
She had already discovered that there was some hidden talent in her - to see things and appreciate the minutest details in every thing big or small.
She could not refrain from the urge which often drove her to scribble something - some notes on her writing pad. Soon she realised that she could read the mind of people and portray them either in words or in colours. She made it a habit to write down things on her pad.
She could have used modern gadgets or any software for her work. But somehow she believed in making notes in her own way .

There was a kind of aura or rather a kind of air about her of which she was not aware, nor ever bothered about it. She lived in a world of her own standards and values which she had derived from her learning, thinking and observations.

With all these she was docile and responsive. A hand full of like minded girls were in her group of close friends.

They would meet occasionally and spend together a couple of hours discussing some cultural or humanitarian issue.
Of the half dozen such friends who together visited her sometimes ,was a girl named Roma, who was taciturn and always chose to react with either smiles or with her eyes wide open thrown and lips curved which amused the rest of them.
Much had not been known about Roma's family and relatives. Yet her friends knew well that she was a kind of a dependable soul.
Each of them did her best to be of comfort and ease to her when they found her distrubed . The others in the group were fun- loving and amicable .

Reena spared nothing in showing her amicability towards her friends .
Being sensitive, she was graceful and very hospitable to her visitors .They took their food together and enjoyed it to a great extent over some interesting discussion or narration of some recent event thereabout .
Sometimes even the variety of flowers, apparels and new - wave styles became a topic for discussions.

As usual they had gathered after quite some time on a holiday.
After the initial cordial attention being paid to her friends, Reena announced that her father had found a suitable match for her in the neighbouring city.
Her father believed that the groom he had found , would be the best choice for his daughter.
He had repeated it several times before her and coaxed her to marry him .
Reena however said she would consider the matter and decide in a couple of days. In the meantime her friends had called on her.
Reena placed the photography of the would be groom in front of her friends and began to reveal everything she had heard about him from her father.
Her friends we're happy and they greeted her on her turn of luck.

Roma however looked up and smiled with her usual curved lips .None knew that she was upset from within.
Something had stung her sharply and agonizingly.
As they all left, Reena retired to her usual choice - place and sat in her chair reading a magazine .

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Two days had passed during which time Roma had been not only restless but also completely upset over her friend's matrimony.
She could not make out whether it was her frustration or jealousy .

Rooma was about Ten year old when her mother died and her father took a second wife from among his relatives.
The step - mother was a kind of hard woman who took out all her displeasure and anger on Roma. She saw to it that no reports about her
ill- treatment ever reached her husband .
Added to that Roma's father spent most of his time outside, managing his business .What went on at home in his absence was some sort of hell for Roma.
She grew up , along with her two other younger step sisters , amid all odds and torture.
No wonder she had developed some kind of cynicism and implicit aversion .

Those two days she could not sleep because of some vicious thoughts which preoccupied her mind.
For a while she thought of somehow breaking Reens's marriage proposal and to stop her from getting married .
She could not now tolerate some one like her getting better prospects while she continued to suffer.

Roma found herself in the road to Reena's house. Within minutes she was in her mansion.
Reena had just received her would-be groom at her house and was serving him with snacks and coffee .

As Roma entered, Reena welcomed her and introduced her would -be groom , Rohith .That was how he was introduced and Reena spoke a few words about his tastes , hobbies, likes and dislikes.

Leaning his back to the sofa, slowly Rohith looked at Roma and said,

" I have well educated, well to do, and well placed friends who are all some kind of idealists .They are eager to help the poor and suffering people ".

The two young women listened to him intently. Roma could not believe in what he said.
She thought he had only been posing himself ,as a philanthropist or some one different from the lot.

As Rohith took leave of them on the pretext of some urgent work he had to attend to, the two young women were left in the big hall chatting.
Roma was neither reciprocative nor did she know how to respond to such a situation.
Reena , friendly as ever ,took her to her room and her choice place from where she viewed the outside world. She then opened her cupboard and displayed her jewellery and new silk drapery which were tucked inside.

They were recent purchases her father had made for her.

Magnanimously Reena offered Roma to pick up any jewellery , besides a few thingd she gave her, as gifts. She also offered new silk sarees to her saying that they would match her complexion .
As they came down stairs Reena prepared some instant chats and offered them to her.

Roma was all the time puzzled and disturbed over the happenings.
Reena had some sketchy knowledge about Roma's life. she was all sympathy for her.
She earnestly wished to share her happiness with people like Roma.

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Roma was sitting by the window of her house upstairs when she saw a silvery grey coloured car pull up in front of her house.
She saw Reena accompanied by Rohith approach the steps to her house.
She abruptly sprang and almost ran down the steps to receive them. She was confused when Roma's father and step mother welcomed them and requested them to be seated .

Roma guessed that they had come to give the invitation card for their marriage.

She was surprised when Rohith began straight by talking about Roma's marriage.
He had brought a proposal from his friend who had seen and also knew Roma .

Everything else was agreeable from the marriage point of view .
Though Roma's mother felt shocked and jealous, on second thoughts she was happy to get rid of her step- daughter.

Roma's father was extremely happy when Rohith told him that the marriage could be held on the same day and in the same way as their own marriage which was arranged to be held during the next month.
The old father didn't need anything greater than this offer.
With his eyes filled with tears he only thanked them. His voice was heavy, yet honest .

Roma took a few minutes to come back to herself. She saw the photograph of her proposed groom. But more than anything else her mind began to rant her.
From within she felt something over -powering her evil self. She could not control the tears running down her cheeks.

Only she knew the reason behind such an overflow .

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